Ten Crucial Days

“We … entered the town with them pell-mell, and here succeeded a scene of war of which I had often conceived but never saw before. The hurry, fright, and confusion of the enemy was [not] unlike that which will be when the last trump shall sound. They endeavoured to form in the streets, the heads of which we had previously the possession of with cannon and howitzers. These, in the twinkling of an eye, cleared the streets. The backs of the houses were resorted to for shelter. These proved ineffectual: the musketry soon dislodged them.”

-General Henry Knox

Faced with an intense and powerful blizzard on the evening of Christmas Day in 1776, General Washington’s army, strategically guided by members of the Hunterdon Militia, made a bold and risky decision to cross the Delaware River and strike the Hessian garrison in Trenton – an attack that would alter the course of the American Revolution and the fight for freedom.

The first Battle of Trenton was quickly followed by a second battle after which the Continental Army made a stealthy nighttime maneuver and a surprise attack on the British troops in Princeton.

These victories strengthened the morale and the resolve of the Continental Army as they headed for winter quarters in Morristown.

Take the Crossroads Ten Crucial Days audio tour from your desktop at home or in the car, starting at the Thompson-Neely House in New Hope, PA and ending in Princeton, NJ.

Video of the Battle of Trenton 2016

Explore the People and Places Related to the Ten Crucial Days

The People

Absalom Bainbridge

Jacob Francis

Hugh Mercer

Philemon Dickinson

Colonel John Cox

Thomas Clarke

Abraham Hunt

Richard Stockton

Mary Peale Field

The Places

Old Barracks Museum

Princeton Battlefield State Park

Washington Crossing State Park

Ten Crucial Days Photo Gallery

18th Century Reenactor – Johnson Ferry House
War is difficult for everyone to deal with; perhaps especially so for those left behind in an era of slow, [...]

Sons of the Revolution Marker
Though time has obscured many features of the route taken by the American army from Trenton to Princeton in January [...]

Washington Statue near Assunpink Creek – Trenton, NJ
The valiant and bold leadership of General Washington has long been honored as seen in this statue of him standing [...]

Alexander Douglass House – Trenton, NJ
Diminutive in size, but replete with history, this unpetentious house (now in its third location) was the home of Alexander [...]

Washington Crosses the Delaware River
Washington Crosses the Delaware River in a reenactment every Christmas Day. Durham boat with flag – white stars on blue field.

Johnson Ferry House – Washington Crossing State Park – Titusville, NJ
The Johnson Ferry House in Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, New Jersey was used by General Washington and his [...]

Princeton Battlefield State Park – Princeton, NJ
The farmsteads of Thomas and William Clarke were the setting for open engagement between American and British forces on January [...]

People of all ages become part of the excitement at the Crossroads of the American Revolution
People of all ages become part of the excitement at the Crossroads of the American Revolution. Child (girl) in costume [...]

William Trent House
The William Trent House stands at the highest navigable point of the Delaware River and is registered as a National [...]

Troops reenact the Battle of Trenton
Troops reenact the Battle of Trenton on the site where it occurred in December 1776. Troops on street with flare [...]

Interior Morven – Princeton, NJ
Richard Stockton’s marriage to Annis Boudinot, a successful poet, united two wealthy and infuluential families. She was the sister of [...]

Old Barracks Museum – Trenton, NJ
The Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey is a U-shaped stone structure built in 1758 to house British troops [...]

Washington Crossing Re-enactment – Washington Crossing, PA and Titusville, NJ
Reenactors prepare to embark on a recreation of the Christmas Night crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolution. [...]

Inside the Faculty room in Nassau Hall in Princeton, New Jersey.
Visitors entering the Faculty Room of Nassau Hall are instantly struck by the richness of its paneling and the arrangement [...]

Interior Thomas Clarke House – Princeton Battlefield State Park
Furnished as it would have been in 1777, the Thomas Clarke House at Princeton Battlefield State Park displays many features [...]

Interior Thomas Clarke House – Princeton Battlefield State Park
Following the Battle of Princeton, the beds and floors of the Thomas Clarke home were used to comfort the wounded, [...]

Washington’s troops cross the Delaware River
Two Durham boats crossing the Delaware

Weapons Collection – Thomas Clarke House – Princeton Battlefield State Park
Firearms, munitions, documents, and maps are on display to the public in the Thomas Clarke House. The period artifacts and [...]

Thomas Clarke House – Princeton Battlefield State Park
The Thomas Clarke house sits on the highpoint of Princeton Battlefield State Park. The house and its exhibits tell the [...]

Morven – Princeton, NJ
Morven, named after a mythical Gaelic kingdom, exemplifies the formal elegance aspired to by wealthy American colonials. It was build [...]

Portrait of George Washington – Nassau Hall – Princeton University – Princeton, NJ
On the southern wall of the Faculty Room in Nassau Hall hangs the 1784 portrait “George Washington at the Battle [...]

Crossing State Park – Titusville, NJ
Interior Johnson Ferry House – Washington Colonial homes seem scant compared to today’s standards. Houses contained the basics for the residents [...]

Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House – Princeton, NJ
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Trenton Battle Monument
Marking the high ground where Washington’s artillery fired upon the Hessians during the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, [...]

Interior Old Barracks Museum
Having passed through American and British hands on more than one occasion during the Revolutionary War, the Old Barracks eventually [...]

Durham Boat – Washington Crossing Re-enactment
Though many boats were used to cross the American forces to the New Jersey side of the Delaware River on [...]

Nassau Hall – Princeton University – Princeton, NJ
One of the largest buildings in the colonies when it was built in 1756, Nassau Hall on the campus of [...]

Trenton Battle Monument Plaque
A plaque at the foot of the Trenton Battle Monument attests to the dismay in London when Lord George Germain, [...]

Tours of the Ten Crucial Days

Princeton Tour

Every Sunday at 2:00 pm – Come learn the fascinating history of Princeton by taking the Historical Society of Princeton’s fabulous guided walking tours – offered every Sunday at 2:00 pm starting at historic Bainbridge House located in the heart of Princeton, 158 Nassau Street (next to PJ’s Pancake House). The tour is a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon whether you’re a visitor, resident, or an out of town guest.

Enjoy a 1.9 mile, two-hour walk around beautiful downtown Princeton and the Princeton University campus. You will learn about the historical significance of Princeton and Princeton University, the architectural history behind prominent buildings and landmarks, Princeton’s historic role in the American Revolution and the founding of this nation, the coup that brought Einstein to the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, and so much more! Tickets for the walking tour are only $7/adult – $4/children ages 6 – 12, FREE children age 5 and under. Tickets go on sale at Bainbridge House starting at noon on the day of the tour. To learn about additional walking tours, or how to customize a private group tour, please visit www.princetonhistory.org or call 609-921-6748, x102.

Trenton Battlefield - Self-Guided Tours

First Battle (December 26, 1776)

1. Trenton Battle Monument
2. N. Warren & Bank Sts. (Site of Stacy Potts House)
3. N. Warren & W. State Sts. (Site of Abraham Hunt House)
4. 140 E. State St. (First Presbyterian Church)